Window construction



Jul 2, 1946. D. T. DOWNES 2,403,061

WINDOW CONSTRUCTION Filed June 16, 1945 a 30 am I Zn/v/EL Z'Dowmas tial o cons'rsucrron Daniel T. Downes, Creighton, Pa asslgnor to Pittsburgh Plate Gl Company, Allegheny County, Pa, s corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 16, 1943; Serial No. 490,990

This invention relates to glass closure structures and it has perticiilar relation to such structures in which laminated glass units are flexibly mounted in wall sections without clamping the glass portions of such structure.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved closure structure in which laminated glass is connected to surrounding fram elements by mean of flexible border flanges adapted to receive clamping elements without importing clamping forces upon the glass portions of the structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an 2 Claims. (@l. 189-64!) 2 y lustratlng the application of strip metal to plastic inter-layer material; Fig. 5 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 2 of a curved wall section in which the invention has been incorporated; Fig. 6v is a cross-section similar to Fig. 2 oi another orrangement of mounting elements; and Fig. 7 is s fentary perspective of corner arrangement of flexible deformable strips employedin mountimproved laminated glazing unit particularly adopted to withstand air pressures in pressurized airplane compartments in which relative inside and outside air pressures vary according to the altitude at which the cimlane flies.

Another object of the invention is to provide on improved fluid-tight joint between flexible flanges extending from laminated glass and surrounding supporting ironies.

In a practical application of the invention, plastic interlayer material is provided with glass plates bonded upon opposite sides thereof to form a laminated unit. Before the bonding operation is effected sheet metal in strip form is mounted entirely around the wrimeter cf the unit with its inner edges extending into, and anchored to, the plastic interlayer between the marginal portions of the glass. The outer edges of the sheet metal extend outwardly to form a, surrounding flange suficiently flexible and resillent to support the glass in a frame structure which is distortable, or more or less flexible. Packing material, such as mastic, rubber compound, or the like, is applied to at least one side oi the projecting sheet metal. Resilient channel members of plastic material embrace the marginal portions of the combined sheet metal and plastic extending from the glass edges, and

. bonding operation resilient sheet metal 29 in strip 1 clamping members are drawn against these chan- Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary cross-section, on a. larger scale, taken substantially along the line 11-11 1; Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary perspective, perin section, of a glazing unit; Fig. s is a factory p r pective, partially in section, i1-

of a wall ing a closing unit.

In practicing the invention a wan section it, which can be in the form of a. part of an airplane compartment, vehicle, or other structure, is provided with openings-l2 in which closure units it of transparent laminated form are dispwed. A frame member or pier it separates the openings it and forms a part of the wall section.

Each closure unit 85 comprises a sheet interlayer it of organic plastic, such as vinyl acetal resin, or other resin that is adapted to be employcd in laminating glass. Plates of glass 2% are bonded u'oon opposite sides of the interlayer under conditions of heat and pressure employed in conventional practice of laminating glass. In assembling th laminations preparatory to the form is disposed between the marg nal portions of the glass pistes, and in the final laminating steps it is bonded to the sheet interlayer id in such, manner that the metal does not touch the glass. As shown in Fig. 4, the interlaycr sheet it can be in the form of two or more plastic layers 23 between the marginal portionsof which the sheet metal it i positioned. The strip metal is disposed entirely around the perimeter of each laminated unit and constitutes o resilient mounting flange which is sumciently flexible in itself and in its plastic mounting to be capable of considerable movement relative to the gloss.

Rubber or other plastic materialld in strip form is bonded to at least one side of the extended sheet metal flanges 26 of each unit, and its inner edge abuts, and is bonded to, the edges of the interlayer sheet. The ends of the plastic strips 2d are rabbeted, as indicated at 25, and

bonded or {used in overlapping relation atv the low portion thereof.

a 3 Each unit is is set in its opening 12 with the flanges 21 supported upon the pier l6 andupon the marginal portions of the wall section l surtherethrough and through the central pier it, as well as through the flange 21. Additional clamping strips 29 on the inside of the wall section embrace the flanges 2| of the units l5 around the openthat the latter have such play therein as not to interfere with free flexing of the flanges between the channels 30 and the edges of the glass. Before the clamping plate 31 is clamped into position, suitable yieldable packing M, such as mastic, rubber compound, or the like, is applied in layer or strip form, or by spreading, upon the flange 2!. This packing is of such thickness as to be compressed to an appreciable degree before the clamping plates 3! and 29 are fully tightened against the channel members 30.

The packing 34 does not offer appreciable resistance to compression forces, but is applied primarily as a'flller and yields to outward bulging of the sheet metal 2! under influence of internal pressures when the wall section constitutes a part of a pressurized compartment. Since the clamping plate 3| is disposed on the outside wall section pressure from the inner side of the section forces the flange 2ltoward the inner surface of the plate, as well as toward the inner marginal, portions of the wall section, and the yieldablecharacter of the mastic packing 3d permits the with constitute a fiangedddisposed entirely around the perimeter of the unit. A plastic chan nel member 49, corresponding to the channel members 3d, embraces the edges of the flange 48.

Yieldable packing 50, corresponding to theme]!- ing 34, is applied to the flange dB and a clamping member 5! having a rubber strip 52 mounted in a rabbeted portion Edtherof receives the channel member thereon. Fastening elements 56 extending through the clamping member 5| and through the marginal portion of a wall section 5,7{as well as through the flange d8, confines the channel member in clamped and sealed relation. This unit operates in substantially the same manner as the units l5.

Although illustrative forms of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a closure structure, an interlayer of organic plastic, glass plates bonded upon opposite sides of said interlayer to form a laminatedunit, resilient sheet metal in strip form having one marginal portion disposed in the interlayer between the marginal portions of the glass plates and extending therefrom in the form of a mount ing flange, a channel member of rubber come pound surrounding the perimeter of the laminated unit and having the outer edge of the sheet metal flange disposed in the channeled portion of said member, supporting clamping structure embracing the channel member in clamped fluidtight relation and leaving a flexible flange area edges of the flange 2| to have at least appreciable pivotal movement in the channel members 38 incidentally ,to the bulging of the units outwardly under pressure.

This type of arrangement is particularly useful and adaptable in connection with the mounting and functioning of laminated units which are curved or which constitute parts of continuous stream-lined wall sections, such as those shown in Fig. 5. All of the elements shown in this latter figure are also shown and described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, and hence, the same reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts. The only other appreciable difference lies in the fact that the fastening elements 32 are disposed between the channel members 30 in Fig. 5 instead of extending through the flanges 2|. This arrangement provides more leeway for flexibility of the flanges from the glass plate edges to the channel members 30.

Fig. 6 illustrates a structure in which a laminated unit 46 comprises glass plates 4i bonded upon opposite sides of a sheet interlayer 43, which is constructed in the same manner as the interlayer l8 and, in like manner, is provided with a sheet metal flange extending between the margina1 portions of the glass, but free from contact with the latter. Rubber strips 48 are bonded upon opposite sides of the flange 45 and together therebetween the edges of the glass and the area of clamping on said member, said channel member maintaining the clamping structure in spaced overlapping relation to the mounting flange, the edge of the outer overlapping portion of the clamping structure terminating short of the edges of the glass, and a layer of yieldable mastic filling marginal portion disposed in the interlayer between the marginal portions of the glass plates and extending therefrom in the form of a mounting flange, a plastic channel member surrounding the perimeter of the laminated unit and having the outer edge of the sheet meta1 flange disposed in the channeled portion of said member, supporting clamping structure embracing the channeled member and leaving a flexible flange area between the edges of the glass and the supporting clamping structure, said sheet metal having openings extending through the flexible flange area thereof in materially spaced relation to both the channel member and glass edges, and fastener extending through said clamping structure and loosely through said openings to clamp said clamping structure in fluid-tight relation upon opposite sides of the channel member while permitting flexing action of the flexible flange area.

DANIEL T. DOWNES. 

